Mental Health Professionals

Psychiatrists

In 2003,³⁹ there were 179 active psychiatrists licensed to practice in New Mexico for a ratio of 9.5 psychiatrists for every 100,000 New Mexico residents (Table 44).

Sources: New Mexico data from New Mexico Health Policy Commission (2004); U.S. from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions (1999).

• There were 15 psychiatrists in the New Mexico Border Counties; this was 4.7 psychiatrists per 100,000 population. The supply of psychiatrists in the counties within 62 miles of the Border was lower than in the State (9.5 per 100,000) and the U.S. (14.2 per 100,000).
  
  
• There were three times as many psychiatrists at the national level as there were in the Border Counties.
  
  
• In the counties between 62 and 300 miles from the Border, the supply of psychiatrists (10.6 per 100,000) was higher than in the Border Counties. There were no psychiatrists in the counties more than 300 miles from the Border.
  
  
• Psychiatrists in New Mexico’s Border Counties were younger than the State average: 52 years of age compared to 56 years of age. Twenty percent of psychiatrists in the Border Counties were approaching retirement age (ages 55 and over). Of the State’s psychiatrists, 53 percent would be eligible for retirement within the next 10 years (Table 45).
  
  
• Eighty percent of psychiatrists who practiced in the Border Counties and 68 percent of the State psychiatrist workforce were male (Table 46).

Psychologists

In 2003, there were 473 active psychologists licensed to practice in New Mexico for a ratio of 25 psychologists for every 100,000 New Mexico residents (Table 47).

Sources: Border States includes data from Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners (2004), California Department of Consumer Affairs (2004), New Mexico Health Policy Commission (2003), and Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (2003); U.S. from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions (1999).

• There were 55 psychologists in the New Mexico Border Counties; this was 17.3 psychologists per 100,000 population. The supply of psychologists in the Border Counties was lower than the supply in the State (25 per 100,000), the Border States (27 per 100,000), and the United States (28 per 100,000).
  
  
• The supply of psychologists at the national level was 1.6 times the supply in the Border Counties.
  
  
• The supply of psychologists in the counties between 62 and 300 miles from the Border was 27 per 100,000, and 5.6 per 100,000 in the counties more than 300 miles from the Border.
  
  
• Sixty percent of psychologists in both the Border Counties and counties between 62 and 300 miles from the Border were approaching retirement age (ages 55 and over) within the next 10 years (Table 48).
  
  
• Males accounted for 53 percent of psychologists in the Border Counties compared to 49 percent statewide (Table 49).

Social Workers

In 2003, there were 1,992 active social workers licensed to practice in New Mexico for a ratio of 106 social workers for every 100,000 New Mexico residents (Table 50).

Sources: Border States includes data from Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (2004), California Department of Consumer Affairs (2004), New Mexico Health Policy Commission (2003), and Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (2003); U.S. from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions (1999).

• There were 238 social workers in the New Mexico Border Counties; this was 75 social workers per 100,000 population. The supply of social workers in the Border Counties was lower than the State ratio of 106 per 100,000, but much higher than the supply in the Border States and United States with ratios of 43 and 36 per 100,000, respectively.
  
  
• The supply of social workers in the Border Counties was 2.1 times the supply at the national level.
  
  
• In the counties between 62 and 300 miles from the Border the supply of social workers was 113 per 100,000. The supply of social workers in the counties more than 300 miles from the Border was lower with 90 social workers per 100,000 population.
  
  
• Twenty-seven percent of social workers in the Border Counties were approaching retirement age (ages 55 and over). Thirty-one percent of the social workers in the State would be eligible for retirement within the next 10 years (Table 51).
  
  
• Females represented over 70 percent of the social worker workforce in New Mexico, regardless of geographic region. Seventy-four percent of social workers were female in the Border Counties and 80 percent were female in both the counties between 62 and 300 miles from the Border and counties that are more than 300 miles from the Border (Table 52).

Health Infrastructure

In New Mexico, there were twice as many certified nursing home beds per 10,000 population available in counties more than 300 miles from the Border than there were in counties within 62 miles from the Border. There were 111 certified nursing home beds per 10,000 available for counties that are more than 300 miles from the Border, 37 certified nursing home beds per 10,000 in counties between 62 and 300 miles of the Border, and 45 certified nursing home beds in counties within 62 miles from the Border (Table 53).

Statewide, there were 24 licensed hospital beds per 10,000 population. As one moved closer to the Border in New Mexico, there were fewer hospital beds available. Counties more than 300 miles from the Border had 54 beds per 10,000 population, while Border Counties had 20 beds per 10,000 population (Table 54).